In a world of shifting geopolitical alliances and tariff turbulence, it’s no surprise that many of our industry’s clients find themselves in a moment of pause and reflection.
For Canada, this moment is especially significant. Amidst global uncertainty and growing national confidence, there’s a renewed sense of pride in what makes Canadian culture distinct: its humility, inclusiveness, and a “get-it-done” spirit. Among Canadians, there’s this unique blend of grit and warmth, vision and tolerance, a level-headedness that has been long underrated.
Over the last two decades, I’ve been living abroad, building my career in design and real estate advisory for corporate interiors. Living outside Canada enabled me to reflect and value our culture more deeply. It’s what motivated my return.
This period of recalibration feels strangely familiar to those of us in corporate real estate and workplace design. At the start of the pandemic, projects stalled, and office doors closed. But for those of us in advisory services, we were never busier. We helped our clients understand the purpose of their real estate, navigate the future of hybrid work, and adapt their workplaces to evolving cultures.
Today many clients are pausing, but for different reasons.
Funding pipelines are shifting, CRE teams are being asked to do more with less, trade routes are shifting, and economic uncertainty may be delaying leadership approvals for new projects. As the world reconsiders it’s priorities and alliances, there’s an opportunity to plan and move forward in an unapologetically Canadian way. When creating spaces, we can lead with our shared Canadian values. This can begin with pushing for a more democratic design process, designing for diversity, equity and inclusion, and celebrating Canadian design by using local materials in our construction projects.
Embracing local resources
When designing for our Canadian culture with our partners and our planet, we have an opportunity to prioritize local building materials. Building Canadian today doesn’t mean excluding non-national materials, but there is an opportunity to support our building economy and creative sector by considering local materials first.
At the beginning of Covid, the global supply chain was disrupted; globally procured building materials had uncommonly long lead times. This challenge quickly became a prime opportunity. The Carrville Community Centre, Library, and District Park in Vaughan, Ont. by Perkins&Will, for example, utilized Canadian steel as a core element avoiding future price escalation. The result is a space that not only supports community needs but also showcases the strength of locally sourced materials as a symbol of resilience and thoughtful design. The structure of the future South Common Community Centre in Mississauga, also by Perkins&Will, implements Canadian heavy timber architectural block. The centre’s simple white walls celebrate the Canadian timber ceiling and terracotta floors.
Working with our planet and local communities helps to strengthen our local and national economies as well as create a sense of connection to our earth, and a local architectural aesthetic created through spatial materiality. For most buildings, some materials may need to be procured globally, but there’s an opportunity to prioritize significant project materials from within Canada. A 2022 RBC report estimates that the growing use of mass timber domestically could expand the market by approximately $1 billion by 2030 with a portion of this growth expected to benefit Indigenous communities.
Creating a more democratic design approach
Canada is making strides in creating a more democratic ‘co-creation’ design process and significant work remains. When we build spaces for communities, public or private, our design process must be open and inclusive. There was an international era of the ‘black cape designer’ when the design process centered around an individual’s artistic vision. Creating space for others must be rooted in a deep understanding of their needs. The end-user’s involvement must be prioritized through the design process. With a co-creation project ethos, everyone can bring their ideas, priorities and requirements to the table. The best ideas for all rise to the top and inform the project’s design and create a principles-based solution for the space.
New technology tools have also enabled us to create a more collaborative process, especially in the early project phases when we’re establishing the project priorities and concept design. Architecture and design firms, Perkins&Will included, now harness AI-based technology for sentiment analysis. This enables our engagement with partners and end-users to go both wider and deeper. We can engage many more people to understand their priorities and what they need from their space. Ultimately this creates a more richly tailored environment for the communities that will use it.
The process of designing through inclusion can feel daunting but it is extremely necessary in Canada, now more so than ever.
In other parts of the world, designing with diversity, equity and inclusion may feel like it’s on pause. This is not true here. Multiculturalism is foundational to our national identity. Our values of inclusion, equity, justice and the belief that diversity adds value are increasingly unique. They are values I believe we should protect and celebrate through the spaces we design.
Designing for DE&I may start by including spaces in our work and community buildings for cultural celebration, meditation and prayer, and sensory realignment. We are learning more everyday about how we can design spaces to be inclusive of neurological, gender, and life-stage differences. The design of a space informs our behaviour. Creating spaces where everyone feels comfortable is key to creating strong communities at school, work, and play.
Deepening our understanding of a reconciliatory design process
We are continuing the journey of learning and reflection as we seek to respectfully include Indigenous voices and leadership in our design processes. In alignment and support of Call to Action #92 from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada urges the corporate sector to adopt Indigenous-informed practices and ensure meaningful consultation, we recognize the importance of engagement.
With each project undertaken in collaboration with Indigenous partners, we can deepen our understanding of how design can contribute to a shared path toward truth and reconciliation. This work calls us to listen to voices that have been historically marginalized, to acknowledge the truths of our shared history, and to recognize the profound significance of working on lands that were taken from Indigenous Peoples. It is a responsibility and a privilege to engage with Indigenous communities, whose values and worldviews offer essential guidance for shaping meaningful and inclusive design.
Through these partnerships, as part of our pre-design process, we can co-create guiding principles for our projects rooted in Indigenous knowledge systems. Being open to Indigenous voices can transform how we see, know, and practice as architects and designers, creating truly unique opportunities in design. Indigenous perspectives are what we need now in Canada to help us address global uncertainty and our climate crisis. They can help us to build both technically and spiritually, inclusively, collaboratively, and sustainably for future generations.
During this moment of reflection and personal return to Canada, I’m proud to be part of a culture that is fostering a more democratic and reconciliatory design process, building inclusive spaces for our communities, and prioritizing nationally sourced materials. The beautiful thing about being Canadian, is that we’re never singular in our view. We can be both our history and our present, nationally proud and globally connected, visionary and inclusive.
Kerri Henderson is an Associate Principal and Director of Advisory Services at Perkins&Will in Ottawa.